Columns

Something remarkable happened in S.C. legal and political circles this past Tuesday. A sitting circuit judge running unopposed for reelection withdrew her candidacy before the Judicial Screening Commission.
News reports have focused on the unfavorable comments made by lawyers regarding Judge Kristi Harrington in an anonymous survey. The surveys revealed that many lawyers who had appeared before this judge thought she was unqualified by temperament to serve. Those survey results were not the only speed bump in Judge Harrington’s path.

In a recent House Ways and Means subcommittee meeting, state lawmakers expressed great concern about the responsibility of county spending practices.
Let’s be clear: County spending habits are technically no concern of the state, from a jurisdictional perspective. However, the law requires the General Assembly to set aside 4.5 percent of last year’s general fund revenue for the local government fund (LGF) to cover state mandates on counties and municipalities.

In his Friday opinion column, Bobby Collins made an impassioned argument concerning income inequality, a common Democratic talking point.
The Declaration of Independence asserts that certain rights are unalienable, and “that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Neither the Declaration of Independence nor the Constitution asserts that you will be happy or that you will achieve your desires.

American morality is crashing down around us today in our government officials, entertainment moguls and media stars. Why is that?
George Washington was a very wise man. To understand his wisdom and its source, read his farewell address of 1796. He said in part, “…of all dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports…. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be managed without religion.”
Washington knew why things went wrong over 200 years ago.

Editor’s note: In a column Friday, Rep. Newton addressed changes needed after the abandonment of the V.C. Summer nuclear power plant. Here is Part Two of his preview of the legislative session that begins in January.

Flying under the radar this offseason has been the second half of state pension reform.
While legislators passed a fix for the current system this year that keeps the plan solvent for the next couple of decades, this was a temporary solution and not the end of these reform efforts.

Have you had your flu vaccine yet? It is not too late.
You can be infected with the flu year-round, but the most prevalent time is from October to March. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that everyone age 6 months or older receive an influenza vaccine every year.

The General Assembly will be back in session starting in January, and although this year’s session covered a lot of ground, the next one likely will bring big challenges.
Today, I’ll explain one of those issues – the abandonment of the V.C. Summer nuclear plant project in Fairfield County. Part two of my legislative preview Sunday will deal with pension reform and the opioid crisis.

In the Nov. 24 Lancaster News, Rudy Schmidt responded to my Nov. 15 column about how Democratic policies help the middle class.
I appreciate the cordial nature of Mr. Schmidt’s comments. In his article he asked me to give the basis for my statements. I will try succinctly to do just that.
The Gini Coefficient, a measure of income distribution, has been increasing in the United States since 1980. (That means the middle class has been shrinking and the few very rich have been getting richer. Also, real wages have been decreasing.)

Ninety-eight percent of mass shootings in America since the 1950s, according to the Crime Prevention Research Center, have occurred in gun-free zones. That is why people die, because it’s the place of choice for the mentally ill perps. No one to shoot back.

Friday’s Lancaster News article on law-enforcement costs for an incorporated Indian Land highlights a significant discrepancy in charges for similar services throughout the county.
Until this year, the sheriff’s office provided law enforcement services for the incorporated area of Heath Springs. When the cost for those services increased from $23,500 to $38,500 earlier this year, Heath Springs chose not to renew the contract. Presumably, they still receive some level of coverage from the sheriff because they are still part of Lancaster County.